Pressure cooled polishing buff



Aug., l5, 1950 F. MOLLICA -PRESSURE COOLED POLISHING BUFF 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29,' 1948.

I 10 -fla Illu INVENTOR.

Aug. 15, 1950 F. MoLLlcA PRESSURE COOLED POLISHING BUFF 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 29, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 15, 1950 PRESSURE COOLED POLISHING BUFF Frank Mollica, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to United Buff Products Corporation, Passaic, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 29, 1948, Serial No. 35,797

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved polishing buff construction, and particularly to improved means for cooling the bui to dissipate heat generated by the frictional engagement with the peripheral surface of the buff against the Work being polished, so that maximum working speeds and pressures may be maintained against the work for longer periods of time, with the result that the cost of polishing work will be materially reduced.

Another feature of the invention is to provide means for blowing air through the fabric of the buff by rotating fan cups forming in the side clamping plates of -the buff and in an intermediate flange plate disposed inwardly of the clamping plates.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of ventilation holes in the fabric of the buff and the arrangement of blower cups so that their outlets will discharge air directly into these holes, which are also continued through the clamping ring of the bu.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision of a buff with a fabric wound upon itself in helical arrangement and held in permanent ring formation by means of a binding ring interlocked with the folds or turns of the helically wound fabric, without the use of rows of stitches.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a buff fabric with radial folds forming air passages and means inwardly of these air passages in the form of multiple stage air blowing cups or means, together With air passages through the fabric, so .that the radial air passages of the buff fabric will develop a centrifugal action upon the air to maintain a partial vacuum condition to suck air thereinto.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision of a buff fabric, which consists of a fabric strip folded into U-shaped form and then wound helically, upon itself to form an annular body or ring, and a binding metal ring having teeth embedded in the fabric to retain the fabric in its helically wound and annular condition, without rows of stitches, and in such manner that the individual helical discs of the ring will be held against radial separation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide clamping rings with means for maintaining a backing pressure on the holding prongs of the retaining ring. so that these prongs will not be permitted to open up under the centrifugal pressures developed by the rotation of the fabric.

A still further object of the invention is the ,provision of a buff with means for holding the fabric section, so that the holding means will rotate in true concentric relation to its supporting shaft for a portion of its area, and the fabric section and the outer portion of the holding means will generate a wobbling action when the buff is rotated, so that the working peripheral face of the fabric section will generate a lateral wiping action against the work being polished at the same time that it is rotating at high speed against the work, and surface scratches on the work will be largely or completely eliminated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations, and arrangements of. parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view through the improved buff, showing the inner and external air blowing cups.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fabric buff section and its retaining or binding ring.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the buff, showing the external clamping plate and its air blowing cups.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the clamping plate, enlarged.

Fig. 6 is a side View of the internal blower plate, enlarged.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged edge view of the fabric section of the buff, showing the air passages formed by the radial folds of the helical wound U-shaped strip of fabric polishing material.

Fig. 8 is a side view showing the inner face of the external plate and its blower cups.

Fig. 9 is a similar view, showing Athe blower cups of the intermediatie or internal plate.

Fig. 9A is an edge view of the plate shown in' Fig.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view through a buff constructed to generate a wobblng action on the working face of the fabric polishing section.

Fig. l1 is a diagram showing one method of winding the U-shaped fabric strip to form a helically wound fabric ring or annular body.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a completed fabric ring, before the binding ring is interlocked thereto.

Fig. 13 is a plan View showing a fabric strip which has been creased to form the radial folds and to permit of being bent into U-shaped form.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of the invention, I desigxnates a supporting shaft, having a shoulder and an external screw thread I2, on which one or more nuts I3 are threaded, to clamp the buff unit I4 between the nut and the shoulder, as in usual practice.

The buff unit comprises the annular fabric sections I5, the metal binding rings I6, the external clamping plates l'! and I8, and the internal or intermediate plates I9 .and 2U.

The annular fabric sections I are similarly constructed, and each comprises a strip 2| of flexible polishing fabric material, usually textile in contruction, and cut on a bias. This strip is folded upon itself t0 provide equal radial sides 22 and 23, as indicated in Fig, 11, and is creased before or after being so folded, so that radial folds 24. as shown in Fig. 2, will form as the U- shaped textile strip 2| is helically wound, as indicated in Fig. 11, so that the U-shaped strip portions will neatly iit within each other, as shown in Fig. 3, as a result of the helical win-ding of the flexible strip 2| upon itself around a suitable ring or core 25, as indicated in Fig. 11.

In this way a radially fluted or pleated annular body or ring is formed, made of helically wound U-shaped turns, neatly nesting in each other in successive disposition, so that the union bends 26 of the U-shaped strips will be at the inner or internal portion of the annular body or ring.

A split binding ring I6 is then fitted within this annular buff section, and secured in place, as indicated in Fig. 2. This split binding ring is of metal, and is die cut to provide radial holding prongs 28 and 29 on opposite sides of this binding ring. This binding ring is of malleable or bendable metal, and each of the holding prongs is formed V-shaped. so that it can be driven, into the plies which form the helically wound fabric section, the outer tips or ends cf these prongs being bent at approximately right angles to the sides of the fabric section for this purpose. The ring I6 is split for assembly purposes, and one end ISa thereof is disposed in overlapping relation to the other end, and welded thereto, thus forming a closed ring body.

The inner circular wall |627 of the ring I 6 is formed with a, plurality of air openings IGd, and the fabric section I5 is formed with air passages |5a, which extend through the plies thereof, so as to provide air passages which establish communication with the air spaces naturally formed between the innermost plies or walls I5 and I5" thereof.

Due to the radial folds 24 of the fabric polishing section, relatively large air passages may be formed in the fabric section, as illustrated in Fig. '7, which communicate with the air holes or openings |6d, described.

Any number of similar fabric polishing sections I5 may be coupled in parallel and axial mounting upon a single supporting shaft. In the drawings four similar fabric polishing sections or rings are shown to be coupled in place. The number of fabric sections thus used determines the width of the working face of the buff.

Each clamping plate is of circular form, and is provided with an axial hole 30 through which the shaft extends. Outwardly of this axial hole the plate is formed with a plurality of equally spaced air blowing cups 3|, and with air intake openings 32 at the intake ends 3|a of these cups. Each plate is further formed with a discharge opening 33 at the discharge end of each cup, which extends through the plate. In the illu- CII trative design shown six such cups and such openings are shown, lbut a greater or smaller number may be employed. The air blowing cups of one plate are right-handed or clockwise and the air blowing cups of the companion clamping plate are lefthanded, or counterclockwise, so that the cups of both plates will pick up and force air into the circular chamber formed by the fabric ring sections, from the outside of the buff.

Each intermediate or internal plate is formed with a plurality of air blowing cups 34 (Fig. 6), and each of these cups is formed with a constricted discharge end or tube 34a, which is dispdsed in direct registration with one of the air holes or passages IEd, so that air will be forced through the metal binding ring I6 and through the hole cf the fabric section. The intermediate or internal plate is also formed with a seating flange I6', which seats against the outermost binding ring, and the rim of the clamping plate bears directly against this seating flange. The air blowing cups 34 are thus supported inwardly at the outer face of the outermost binding ring.

When the buff is rotated upon a power driven shaft at high speed, air will be forced into the circular chamber formed by the hollow central portions of the fabric buif sections, by reason of the blowing action developed by the cups of the external clamping plates. This air will move under the pressure thus generated against and into the cups of the intermediate or internal plates, and the forcing action developed by the inner cups will increase the effective pressure of the air blown into the buil.

At the same time the centrifugal action of the fabric buff sections will generate an expelling force upon air which has been forced into the air passages between the radial folds of the buff, and since air has weight, a partial vacuum pressure will be thus maintained in the radial air passages of the buff section, s0 that a greater amount of cooling air will flow through the fabric plies of the polishing action.

In this way a greater amount of heat, generated by the frictional engagement of the fabric section with the work being polished, will be dissipated, so that the work will not be burned or the fabric section weakened, and eiiicient and continuous polishing of work obtained.

The cooler the buff the longer can it be continued in polishing action against work, and the harder will be the surface of the work as it is being polished. When the buff heats up the work naturally heats up, and heated work takes on polishing scratches more easily than cool work.

To improve the action of the buff against work I further provide for a lateral or wobbling action of the Working face of the fabric buff section.

This is accomplished by using clamping plates 40 and 4|, as shown in Fig. 10. The plate 40 is formed with a concentric central section or portion 42, and with a displaced or eccentric outer peripheral portion 43 integrally connected thereto. The plate 4I is formed with a concentric central section or portion 44 and an eccentric outer peripheral portion 45 integrally connected thereto.

Due to this construction the peripheral working face of the fabric section of the buff generates a lateral wiping or polishing action on the Work, in addition to rapid rotation. The working face of the buff thus develops a double or differential polishing action against the work, instead of a simple rotative movement in a single plane fixed by the Width of the buff. The effective width of the buff thus results from the axial offset of the different areas of the working face of the fabric section, resulting from the deformation of the clamping plates from true circular planes, and the greater displacement of the working face portions of the fabric buff section.

In both forms of the invention the outermost edge portions of the clamping plates are formed with lateral flanges 46, which are slightly bevelled on the inner surfaces, and which are designed to have contacting engagement with the retaining prongs of the binding rings of the outermost buff sections, and which, thereby, tend to prevent these prongs from opening up under the centrifugal thrusts developed in rotation.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and patentable:

1. A polishing buff havingV a fabric sec'tion consisting of a U-shaped textile strip helically wound upon itself to form an annular body having a plurality of annularly tted circumferential plies extending outwardly from the bend portion and inner central portion of said annular body, a metal binding ring having malleable prongs interlocked with the plies at the central bend portion of said body, the fabric section having opposing inwardly extending radial folds in said plies contacting each other to form individually enclosed radial air passages, and clamping plates disposed against the sides of the fabric section and provided with means for blowing air into the central area of the fabric section.

2. A polishing buff having a fabric section consisting of a single strip of textile material of U-shaped form in cross section helically wound upon itself to provide contacting plies annularly tted and a hollow central chamber, a binding ring having malleable metal prongs interlocked with said plies and a wall portion engaged with the innermost peripheral portion of said fabric section, said wall portion having air openings therein and said fabric section having circumferentially spaced air openings aligned with the air openings of the said wall portion, the fabric section having opposing and inwardly extending radial folds contacting each other to provide separate centrifugal air passages therein, and clamping plates secureable to the sides of the fabric section and provided with means rotating therewith to force air into said central chamber and through said wall openings into said plies when the buff is rotated.

3. A polishing buff having a fabric section comprising a single textile strip helically wound upon itself to provide an annular body, said strip being of U-shaped construction in cross section and thereby forming an inner integral wall portion of approximately circular form and providing a central air chamber, the turns of said U-shaped strip being fitted within each other and forming right and left groups of plies, said plies having opposing radial folds extending into the central chamber and contacting to provide segregated radial air passages Vbetween said right and left groups of plies, and a single metal binding ring of U-shaped construction in cross section having malleable prongs piercing said plies and uniting said right and left groups of plies to each other, and means for forcing air outwardly through said passages when the buff is rotated.

4. A polishing buff having a fabric section providing a plurality of annular plies, a metal binding ring of U-shaped cross section straddling the inner portions of all of said plies and having malleable metal prongs interlocked with said plies, and a clamping plate engaged with each side of the fabric section, each clamping plate having an outer edge portion formed with a lateral inset flange disposed against the adjacent metal prongs of the binding ring and providing means for holding said prongs against centrifugal displacement.

5. A polishing buff comprising a plurality of similar buff sections, each buff section comprising a single fabric strip of U-shaped construction wound helically upon itself to provide a series of contacting intertting U-shaped plies with bend portions located inwardly and free polishing edge portions disposed in circular formation, each buff section having a binding ring -U-shaped in cross section and providing spaced 4side walls which receive the bend portions of the U-shaped plies and provided with prongs disposed laterally of said side walls and having gripping penetration with said U-shaped plies, each of said binding rings having air passages exposing said frabric bend portions, a pair of clamping plates between which all of the buff sections are assembled, said plates having air openings and air blower cups extending outwardly of said air openings for forcing air into the space within said binding rings, and a plate secured between the buff sections and having additional air blower cups arranged so that their discharge ports are aligned with the air passages of the binding rings to increase the pressure of the air flowing through the binding rings to internally cool the fabric.

6. A polishing buff, comprising a circular binding ring U-shaped in cross section and formed with opposing malleable gripping prongs disposed in spaced relation to each other and extending radially thereof, said binding ring having an inner wall formed with spaced air passages, a polishing fabric of U-shaped cross section wound helically upon itself to provide a series of interfltting U-shaped plies and nested in the U- shaped binding ring and secured thereto by said malleable prongs, said prongs being extended into the fabric from opposite sides thereof and said fabric having radial air passages aligned with tbe air passages of the binding ring, said intertting U-shaped fabric plies having intertting radial folds arranged in opposing concave and alternating convex bends and said concave bends forming radial air passages aligned with the air passages of the fabric and the binding ring, a similar binding ring and a similar helically wound fabric carried thereby in similar relation disposed in concentric relation to the first binding ring and the first fabric, a disc having air blower cups provided with outlets aligned with the air passages of the binding ring to discharge into the same, and a pair of similar clamping plates between which the binding rings are disposed, each clamping plate having a plurality of integral and externally displaced blower cups arranged in circumferential relations thereon to discharge air under pressure into the space bounded by the binding rings, said last-named blower cups providing external air pressure means and said first-named blower cups providing internal air pressure means for maintaining pressure on air flowing through the binding rings and fabric air passages, and said radial fabric folds providing means for generating suction by centrifugal action to increase the pressure an velocity of the air flowing internally to said fabric sections, whereby the internal heat generated in said fabric sections is displaced.

7. A rotary polishing buil? comprising a plurality of buff sections, each bu section consisting of a single continuous U-shaped strip of fabric wound helieally upon itself to form a centrally disposed bend portion and spaced side walls extending radially from the bend portion, said side walls being undulated to form a plurality of inwardly projecting radial folds, the opposing folds contacting to denne individual radial air passages, a binding ring securing each of said bui sections, said ring having openings alined with said radial passages, spaced discs having air blower cups provided with outlets alined with said ring openings, a pair of clamping plates for holding said rings and discs in position and having externally displaced blower cups thereon for 8 introducing air into the space bounded by the clamps and rings.

FRANK MOLLICA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re.19,894 Myers et al Mar. 17, 1936 2,004,623 Yoke June 11, 1935 2,087,012 Zimmerman July 13, 1937 2,106,610 Kreilick et al. Jan. 25, 1938 2,136,747 Levoy Nov. 15, 1938 2,140,208 Murray Dec. 13, 1938 2,167,059 White July 25, 1939 2,384,599 Case Sept. 11, 1945 

